Folding trestle



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,465,947

H. OETZEL FOLDING TRESTLE Filed Jan. 5. 1922 2 Sheg'ts-Sheet 1 Iz'gi.

Aug. 28, 1923. 1,465,947

H. OETZEL FOLDING TRESTLE Filed Jan. 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l'nvenlfn.HaroLcL 003906,

Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

UMTED stares caricat- HAROLD OETZEL; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING TRESTLE.

Application fi1ed Jai1uary 5, 1922. Serial No. 527,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IIAROLI) OnrzEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Trestles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in folding trestles.

More part-icularly't-he present invention relates to the type of trestleor horse in which the legs may be moved from their normal operativepositions for the purpose of packing the horse into smaller space. Thepresent inventionhas-for one of its objects the provision of arigidtrestle or horse which may be folded into small space when said trestleor horse is not in use.

A further object is to provide a folding trestle or horse havingconvenient means for holding the members of said trestle'or horse infolded position, which means may also be used for carrying said trestleor horse.

A further object is to provide a substantial trestle or horse which maybe conveniently folded into small space, which is light in weight, andwhich is cheap to manufacture.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of atrestle embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the trestle shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure showing the trestlefolded up, ready to be transported;

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating a part for holding the trestle rigidwhen set up for use;

Figure 5 illustrates-details of means for holding the trestle in foldedposition;

Figure 6 is a side elevation illustrating a modified embodiment of thepresent invention;

Figure 7' is an end elevation of the structure illustrated in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a bottom planview of the modified trestle when infoldedposition.

Referring first to the structure illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, thenumeral 1 indicates the body of the trestle or horse, which body may beof channelled formation having a top portion 2 and the two sides 3-3which are slightly divergent as illustrated in Fig ure 2. End pieces 4-4may be provided for strengthening purposes. Mounted within the body 1are legs 5-5, each of which is pivoted, at the point 6. Legs 5-5 arepivoted near the ends of each of the sides 3-3. The upper ends of saidlegs should support the under side of the top portion 2 when sald legsare in operative position. Each of the legs 5-5 may consist of achannelled member, as best illustrated in Figure 5. The two legs 5-5 ateach end of the trestle are connected by means of a brace 7, which)brace consists of a toggle-shaped member having two arms 8 and 9, ofwhich the arm. 9 may be of 'U -shaped formation, receiving the arm 8.The arms 8 and 9 are pivotally mounted on two brackets 10-10 secured toad acent legs 5-5, said two arms 8 and 9 be ng pivotally connectedtogether at the point 11. The arm 9 has a portion 12 ex-. tending beyondthe pivot point 11, the inter. mediate portion 13 of the U-shaped con--struction of the arm 9 acting as an abutment for the arm 8 whereby toprevent j ack-knifmg except in one direction. The toggles 7 areprevented from jack-knifing and the legs connected thereto are held inplace when the trestle is set up for use by means of the holding members14-14. Each of said holding members 14 is mounted upon a bracket 15which is secured to the under side of the body portion 1 of the trestle;Each of said holding members 14 may be bent adjacent to its outer endwhereby to provide an inverted U formation, indicated by the numeral 15,adapted to receive the toggle 7 Each of the holding members 14 restrainsthe corresponding toggle 7 from folding up and will ensure the properbracing of the legs 5-5. The structure pro-, vides a rigid trestlecapable of bearing loads equal to trestles having much greater bulk andnot possessing the advantages of foldability which will be referred tohereinafter. When it is intended to fold the trestle into small space,the holding members 14 may be moved so that the portions 15-15 no longerengage the toggles 7-7, in which case the legs may be folded up withinthe channelled body portion 1. In practice it will be found desirable tohave the legs 5-5 of such. length that when folded up within the body\portion 1 the ends of the legs at one end ofi the trestle will overlapthose of the other end of the trestle. This fact is made use of insimplifying the holding means for said legs and the carrying means forsaid trestle, as will be referred to hereinafter. 1n foldlng the legs5--5 up within the body portion 1, the toggles 7 will be broken and thearms thereof jack-knifed together as said legs are being moved towardthe body portion 1. Holding members 14,14 will be held within the bodyportion 1 by means of the to les 7, as best illustrated in Figure 3.

ounted substantially in the center of the body 1, on the under sidethereof, is the detent 16. Said detent comprises a socket member 17providing holding means for a rod 18 and a spring 19, which spring 19tends to move the rod 18 toward the top member 2 of the body 1. Thesocket 17 and rod 18 provide a swivel connection whereby the detent 16may be turned about the axis of rod 18. The detent 16 is provided with apair of fingers 20-20 adapted to rest within the channels of theuppermost pair of legs 5-5, and may be apertured whereby to provide aconvenient handle.

It will be clear that in moving the parts of the trestle to foldedposition, the operator will have-the detent 16 lying in alignment withthe remainder of the trestle. lVhen said legs have been moved to fo1d edposition, however, the detent wlll be drawn out against the tension ofthe spring 19 and turned through an angle of 90 whereby the fingers 202Owill engage within the channels of the outermost pair of legs 5 5. Thespring '19 will hold the detent in engaging position whereby the partsof the trestle will be rigidly held within the outlines of the body 1 ofthe trestle. The detent 16 will be mounted in the vertical line markingthe center of gravity when the trestle is occupying a horizontalposition, whereby the operator, in carrying the trestle, will have abalanced load.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8, thestructure is the same in many particulars as that illustrated in Figures1 to 5. In the modified form, however, the means for bracing the legs 55are modified. The toggle 7 is eliminated, and a holding member 14 isprovided, which is pivotally mounted intermediate of its length on thebracket 15. Each end of the holding member 14' is provided with anoutwardly extending portion 21 adapted to extend through coincidingholes in the legs 5. The member 14' will be of resilient material andwill have a natural tendency to spring outwardly, whereby the endportions 21-21 will have no tendency to become released from thecorresponding legs 55. When it is desired to fold the trestle intocompact form, the two end portions 2121 will be moved together wherebyto permit movement of the legs 5-5. Each of the members 14' will beswung toward the cenraeaea'? ter of the horse, along with the legs 5-5.The detent 16 will hold the members in position in a manner which willbe evident without further explanation.

The described embodiments of the present invention have been chosen forthe purpose of illustration and should not be construed in a limitingsense. Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It isintended in this patent to cover all such modifications that fall withinthe scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

it claim:

1. A folding trestle comprising-a body member and a pair of legs hingedto said body member at each end thereof, means connecting the members ofeach pair of legs for bracing same in open position, and combined detentand handle means arranged symmetrically of said body portion for holdingsaid legs in folded position.

2. A foldable trestle comprising a body portion, a pair of legs hingedto each end thereof, toggle-like bracing members connecting the membersof each pair of legs, holding members connected to said body member forholding said bracing members in bracing position, said holding membersbeing movable to positions within said body member, and detent meanscomprising a handle mounted symmetrically of said body member forholding said legs and holding members Within said body member.

3. A folding trestle comprising a body member having a pair of legshinged thereto at each end of said body member, a spring-pressed detentcomprising a handle mounted symmetric-ally of said body member, saiddetent being adapted to occupy a position transversely of said bodymember or longitudinally thereof, said detent being adapted to hold saidlegs in folded position within said body member. a

4. A body member having a pair of legs hinged to each end thereof, saidle'gs being foldable up within said body member, and a spring-pressed,swivelled detent comprising a handle arranged symmetrically of said bodymember for holding said legs in folded position.

5. A folding trestle comprising a body member, a pair of legs hinged toeach end end thereof, bracing means for each pair of legs, said bracingmeans being of jack-knife construction, adapted to close when said legsare moved toward said body member, and holding means for each of saidbracing means, said holding means comprising a pivoted member movable toa position within said body member.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 30th day of December, 1921.

HAROLD OETZEL.

